The proportion of non-local business in Macau’s banking sector rebounded in the first quarter, the Macau Monetary Authority (AMCM) said in a statement on Monday.

According to the statement, the share of non-local assets in banking assets at the end of March increased to 85.9 per cent from 85.2 per cent at the end of last year, while the share of non-local liabilities in banking liabilities rose to 82.9 per cent from 82.1 per cent.

Non-local assets increased 6.0 per cent from a quarter ago and 10.5 per cent from a year earlier to MOP 1.81 trillion at the end of March.

Non-local liabilities increased by 6.1 per cent from three months ago and by 11.8 per cent year-on-year to MOP 1.75 trillion.

Non-local currencies continued to be the dominant denomination in non-local banking transactions. At the end of March, the local pataca currency’s share in assets and liabilities at 0.7 per cent each.

The Hong Kong dollar, the US dollar, the yuan (renminbi) and other currencies accounted for 35.3 per cent, 48.3 per cent, 11.1 per cent and 4.5 per cent of non-local assets while their respective shares in non-local liabilities were 40.4 per cent, 45.0 per cent, 9.8 per cent and 4.1 per cent.

At the end of the first quarter, claims on the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong accounted for 38.3 per cent and 29.0 per cent of total external assets, while claims on Britain and Portugal took up 1.5 per cent and 1.0 per cent respectively.

On external liabilities, Hong Kong and the mainland accounted for 47.1 per cent and 23.7 per cent of the total respectively, while Britain and France took up 5.5 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively.